In 2 Kings 5, we come across a very interesting story of a Syrian Captain named Naaman. We are told that this man was a very successful leader who had one troubling issue; he had leprosy. Often we find in the scriptures that leprosy is associated with pride. This can be seen in Numbers 12 where Miriam opposed Moses because of his marriage to an Ethiopian woman and she became leprose. We can also see this in the story of King Uzziah when he went against the laws of Moses and burned incense in the temple (2 Chronicles 26) and he too was similarly punished. We are not told why Naaman had leprosy, but we can assume that it is related to his pride, which becomes more evident as the story progresses.
Naaman hears of the Prophet Elisha who heals in the land of Israel, and perhaps as an enticement, he heads out to find him carrying gifts. Upon arriving at the home of Elisha, we are told the prophet does not see Naaman, but sends his associate to give Naaman the cure. Naaman is told to bathe in the Jordan river seven times to effectuate his healing.
This cure may seem simple enough, however, to Naaman the process seemed dishonorable. Naaman is beside himself and says, “I thought he would have certainly come out to meet me! I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! Aren't the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” (2 Kings 5:11-12 NLT).
Naaman almost returns home without following the prophet’s instructions, but his associates reasoned with him. They convinced him that since he had traveled such a great distance to meet the prophet, he may as well try the simple remedy and bathe in the Jordan. Hearkening to their plea, Naaman goes into the Jordan river and finds that the prophet’s prescription healed him. Naaman came out of the river with skin that was “as healthy as the skin of a young child,” (2 Kings 5:14 NLT).
One major lesson that can be gleaned from this story is the folly of our own expectations. We come to God, His prophets, His teachers, His Book and ask for a healing, a sign, a miracle. Yet we insist on our own terms. Like Naaman, we often have our own ideas of how a healing should be applied – how a miracle should take place.
One of the problems we see with the Pharisees and Jesus' own disciples is that Jesus did not meet their expectations. They were expecting a warrior to come and demolish Roman rule, but what they received was a Teacher of Righteousness. In order to accept Jesus they would have had to put away their preconceived ideas and accept God on his terms. As the scripture says:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28 -29 NLT).
Often, this burden the Lord referred to ends up being the burden of our own expectation. We come to God and want to tell him how to save us, carrying the weight of our own sins, wounds, sicknesses and diseases – refusing to be healed until God allows us to use the medication we ourselves prescribe. But like Naaman, our healing begins when we humble ourselves and walk the path that has been set forth by the Father of Lights.
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV.
Comments